The bodyguard
by ArkenjalUru
Summary: Naruto Uzumaki banked everything he had on saving her family farm. but after one accident too many to her and to her award-wining colt it was time to hire a bodyguard, but the minute he saw Sasuke Uchiha she knew he could do more damage to her heart than some faceless strangers could do to her home.


_**Hi guys I'm back with my new story hope you like it….**_

Sasuke Uchiha raced for the horse barn with the echo of a woman's scream still reverberating inside his head. He was two hours late thanks to an accident on the freeways from Suna.

Was it Naruto Uzumaki the whisker cheek man he'd been hired as a bodyguard to protect? If it was he already blown his assignment.

He ran through the massive doorway into the stable and slid to a stop prepared for a fight. The familiar smell of fresh shaving raked his senses but did'nt dull the blade of caution sawing back abd forth across his nerves.

All these years he'd wanted to see Rasengan Farm again, but not like this. Bnot with the grip of caution squeezing deep in his chest. The caversnous stable was dark the only the light emanating from the open door of the track room in the right-hand corner.

Was he there?

He started to turn for it, but saw a flash of movement to his left. Pivoting he sawe a man sprint out of the shadows and head for the exit. He was wearing a bandanna to disguise his face and a stocking cap pulled low on his forehead.

Sasuke bolted and tackled him three feet from the door. The thug hard rolled over and chuicked a handful of sawedust into Sasuke's face.

Blinded for an instant Sasuke snagged the thug around the ankles on the way down and pulled him to the floor. His captive kicked like a mule wrenchinh a single booted foot free from his grip and slamming it into Sasuke face. A gash opened hot liquid streamed across his cheekboned.

He let go hoping for another chance toapprend the thug from a standing position. Screambling to his feet he made another lunge for the bandanna-wearing perpetrator but the other man beat him by second dodged left and ran out the barn door into the night.

Sasuke shiik off the mental annoyance at being a step behind. That why he was here that why he been relegated to this detail. To refine his skills again. Wiping a hand across his face he cleaned some of the debris out this eyes and turned bsck into the barn.

"Mr. Uzumaki!" he steppped forward trying to make form out of the shadow. "Naruto Uzumaki!"

The excited shuffle of the horse hooves drew his attention to the first stall where a nervous throughbred paced around inside the twenty-by twenty-foot square. He reached his hand through the upper railing to touch the horse's muzzle.

"Get away from him!"

Jerking back he flaatered against the wall of the stall prepared to take aon the another attack but the decisive thing of metal boring into wood locked him in place.

"Who are you?" A man stood in front of him her like sky blue eyes with her breath coming in gasps that accentuated her state of agitation.

"Sasuke Uchiha from Konoha Agency. I'm the bodyguard you hired to protect you rom thugs like that."

Her shoulders drooped for a second and he let out a sigh but the leery stare still hunted her sky blue eyes. "You have ID?"

"In my wallet."

He did'nt move. "Toss it here."

Sasuke dug ito the back pocket of his jeans with his left hand pulled out his wallet and lobbed it on the ground next to her.

Reaching down he scooped it up without taking her eyes off him. Flipping it open he did a quick comparison."You look better without blood on your face."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He closed his wallet and drooped it on the groud.

"it's the second time this week someone has tried to get to my horse. That bandanna-wearing bastard woke me up when he tried to Hachibi the lacth on the stall door."

Almost on cue the horse in the stable behind him thrusrt his head over the gate and bobbed his head up and down several times.

"But I'm not your assignment Mr. Uchiha. Karuma is." He pointed at the horse.

Sasuke sputtered dragging the residual particles of sawdust up onto his tongue where he wiped them off with the back of his hand.

"I'm in the business of protecting people not horses."

"konoha assured me you could handle this assignment. He claimed you have lots of experience with racehorses."

Karuma bobbed his head again as if he were in some sort of conspiratorial agreement.

"You've been sleeping out here?"

"Yeah. Every night since I received an anonymous threat over the telephone the day after Karuma won the Clark handicap at Suna two weeks ago."

"That's impressive, Mr Uzumaki but he's just a horse and I usually protect those standing on two legs."

Her eyes went wide her body stiffened he'd insulted her.

"He's not just any horse. He's going to win the Kentucky Derby, the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes. The Triple Crown, Mr. Uchiha."

Karuma bobbed his head.

Amusement glided over Sasuke nerves. It wouldn't serve to insult her again and from the set her jaw to the surety in her sexy sky blue eyes, he knew he was certain. Gamblers Anonymous.

"Do you have any idea who's behind the threats against your Thoroughbred?"

"I didn't recognize the voice on the phone and my caller ID registered it an unknown number. It could be from half the farms in Ame Country anyone with a Derby prospect. They've been slinking around my practice track clicking their stopwatches from behind the behind bushes since early this fall. They've seen the speed he has and they don't want to compete against him."

He stepped to the horse and stroked her hand along wide white blaze zigzagging down the big bay's forehead. His head drooped slightly his eyes blinked shut. Even a novice could see the man loved her animal and believed in him, but he knew the inherent error in hear thinking.

"I've got a first-aid kit in the tack room. I'll clean you up." He headed for the open door. "Besides I'd like to see what sort of man my money get me."

Sasuke scooped up his wallet and fell in behind her as he haeded for the tack room in the corner of the barn, watching the sway of her curvy hips clad in tight jeans.

Naruto Uzumaki was all grown up. A far cry from the boy he remembered seeing once twenty-five years ago.

**Please re review…. Hope you like it….ja ne,…..**


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